Is it possible to eat asparagus while losing weight?
Experts recommend eating asparagus to everyone who adheres to a healthy and balanced diet. Whether purchased or grown yourself, it is better to eat it immediately, since during storage it loses its beneficial and nutritional properties. Canned asparagus is inferior to fresh in taste and benefits.
Does asparagus make you fat or thin?
Regular consumption of fresh this product starts the process of losing weight. If you eat 400-500 g of vegetables every day for 20 days, you can get rid of two or three extra pounds. The plant fiber contained in asparagus works for this result. It, like a sponge, cleanses the digestive tract, quickly removes excess liquid, improves digestion, and activates metabolism. The feeling of fullness lasts for a long time, you will not need snacks.
It is also used as a diuretic. The fluid content in tissues and cavities decreases, the skin becomes more elastic, dimples and tubercles in cellulite areas decrease.
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Asparagus for weight loss, due to its chemical composition, triggers a number of processes in the body that promote weight loss:
- The diuretic effect will eliminate fluid stagnation from the body and relieve swelling;
- Providing energy reduces the feeling of fatigue that often plagues people on a restricted diet;
- ensures vasodilation and accelerates blood flow, which helps neutralize the risk of oxygen starvation in tissues;
- it also strengthens the immune system;
- has a calming effect on the nervous system, which reduces the likelihood of compulsive overeating;
- The laxative properties of the drug help the intestines get rid of stagnant stool and toxins.
Despite the many significant benefits, you should also consider the associated side effects before consuming asparagus for weight loss:
- Excessive accumulation of oxalic acid salts leads to the formation of stones in the bladder;
- An unpleasant odor appears when urinating;
- A large amount of the product contributes to irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa;
- Gout develops as a result of an increase in the volume of purine and its conversion to uric acid. The kidneys are not able to immediately get rid of the organism, so it settles in the joints in the form of crystals, which causes swelling;
- Tickling.
To prevent an asparagus diet from ending in many health complications, it is important to follow the rules for using the product, compliance with dosage and consumption requirements.
Composition of asparagus
The chemical composition of different parts of asparagus differs. Rhizomes and roots contain large quantities of carbohydrates (up to 31%), coumarin, asparagine, steroid saponins, carotenoids, essential oils, and amino acids. Young shoots are a source of aspartic acid, vitamin C, B1, B2, carotenoids; herb - chelidonic acid, saponin, glycoside.
Benefits and harms
Regular consumption of asparagus has a beneficial effect on overall well-being and the functioning of internal organs and systems:
- protects the body from the aggressive effects of external and internal environmental factors;
- calms the nervous system;
- improves the transmission of nerve impulses;
- relieves tension;
- stabilizes blood pressure;
- improves blood circulation;
- strengthens bone tissue;
- reduces the severity of pain;
- increases the functionality of the reproductive system;
- slows down oxidative reactions;
- participates in the formation of new cells;
- slows down the aging process;
- stimulates the work of the heart muscle;
- prevents the formation of cancer cells;
- relieves fatigue, increases endurance and performance;
- normalizes hormonal levels.
In this case, asparagus can harm the body. It is especially dangerous for people with low blood pressure, under the influence of which acute vascular insufficiency can develop. Eating asparagus can aggravate the course of gastric and duodenal ulcers, cystitis and prostatitis, and provoke exacerbations.
Calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates
Fresh asparagus is a low-calorie product: 21 kcal per 100 g of product. The protein content is 1.9 g, fat - 0.1 g, carbohydrates - 3.1 g per 100 g of raw vegetable.
Beneficial features
Article on the topic Green May: 6 most important spring products Asparagus contains useful substances.
For example, vitamins A, B, C, T, K, copper, manganese, dietary fiber, magnesium, carotene, coumarin, thiamine, folic acid. And this is not the whole list. Thanks to this composition, asparagus energizes us, lifts our spirits, and relieves the symptoms of vitamin deficiency. It has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels, regulates blood clotting and prevents the formation of blood clots. And carotene in asparagus prevents cancer.
Asparagus is especially loved by those who are watching their weight, since it is a low-calorie product despite its overall health benefits.
Back in the Middle Ages, it was believed that asparagus was a love product, an aphrodisiac. It activates sexual energy, has a stimulating effect, has a beneficial effect on men's health, in general, acts as a natural analogue of Viagra. But asparagus is not only beneficial for men. In India she is called "shatavari", which means "having a hundred husbands." Asparagus normalizes hormonal metabolism, helps with infertility and serves as a rejuvenating agent for women.
How to eat asparagus for weight loss
When losing weight, you can eat asparagus fresh or after heat treatment. The product is baked, boiled, stewed. Canned vegetables or those cooked in vegetable oil are less useful. The vegetable is most often used as one of the ingredients in salads or served as a side dish for meat, various cereals, added to soups, and eaten as an independent product between main meals.
Asparagus is frozen and canned. Regardless of the cooking method, when prepared correctly, asparagus turns out tasty and healthy.
Rules of use
To achieve results, it is important not only to include asparagus in the menu, but also to completely review the daily diet and, if necessary, change eating habits. Nutritionists advise consuming asparagus in amounts of 400 to 500 g per day for several meals.
To lose weight, you need to eat the vegetable regularly for three weeks, then take a break and, if necessary, repeat the diet program to achieve a comfortable weight.
To lose weight, it is important to exclude salt, spices, mayonnaise, fatty foods, fried foods, pickles, smoked foods, baked goods, confectionery, alcohol, sweet carbonated drinks and other foods that can make you gain weight.
It is necessary to drink more fluids; in addition to water, vegetable and fruit juices, green tea, and compotes are allowed. You need to eat often up to 5-6 times a day in small portions, the last meal no later than 18.00. And most importantly, a positive result can be achieved by combining proper nutrition with physical activity.
Young and fresh shoots have a more pleasant taste, so they are more often used in cooking. Before cooking, remove the leaves and the hard part (you can freeze it and use it to make soup).
Tie the peeled asparagus into a bunch of 8-10 stalks, place in a pan filled with a small amount of water, so that the tops are not immersed in water. The asparagus is denser at the base, so while it is cooking, the tops will have time to steam.
Add a little vegetable (butter) oil, salt and sugar to taste, and the juice of half a lemon to the water. Cook over low heat: for 2-3 minutes for the green variety, and 10-15 minutes for the white variety. Check the degree of readiness with a toothpick: the stems inside should remain crispy.
You can use a steamer to cook asparagus. The vegetable is cooked for 5-7 minutes (depending on the variety).
Advice. After cooking, rinse the asparagus under cold water to preserve its delicate aroma and shine.
Recipes
Asparagus salad with spicy sauce
Ingredients:
- 6-8 asparagus stalks;
- 3-4 medium tomatoes;
- 10 g pine nuts;
- 1 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar;
- 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 tsp. mustard.
Recipe:
- Steam the asparagus.
- Cut the tomatoes into large cubes.
- Roast pine nuts in a dry frying pan.
- In a separate container, mix vinegar, mustard and vegetable oil.
- Place the ingredients in a plate, pour over the sauce, and stir.
If desired, you can decorate with greenery. Best served chilled.
Stewed asparagus
Rinse 300 g of asparagus under running water, remove leaves and hard base. Heat 1 tbsp in a frying pan. vegetable oil (can be replaced with flaxseed, corn, olive), add asparagus, simmer covered for 3-5 minutes. At this time, chop a couple of cloves of garlic, mix with 2 tsp. vinegar and 3 tbsp. l. water.
Add the mixture to the asparagus and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste 2-3 minutes before cooking.
Asparagus with strawberries and chicken breast
Ingredients:
- 100 g asparagus;
- 150 g chicken breast;
- lettuce leaves;
- 8-10 strawberries.
For dressing: 2 tbsp. l. natural yogurt, 1 tbsp. l. low-fat cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice.
Recipe:
- Boil asparagus until tender, rinse with cold water, remove remaining water with a paper towel.
- Bake the chicken breast in the oven in foil without adding spices or vegetable oil. Cut the cooled meat into cubes.
- Cut the strawberries in half.
- Place strawberries, meat and asparagus in a salad bowl, add sauce and stir.
Reviews of those losing weight
Asparagus as a means of losing weight has received many positive reviews, primarily due to its simplicity: you can use a variety of recipes and prepare any dishes.
An equally important point is the pleasant taste and affordable price (average cost per 1 kg is 350 rubles). Negative statements are associated with a lack of effect and only in rare cases with the occurrence of adverse reactions in the form of allergies.
Marina Kotova, 39 years old: “I would like to immediately note the incredible taste of asparagus: juicy, crispy, with a sweet aftertaste, somewhat reminiscent of young green peas, only tastier. I cooked asparagus on the grill, I could bake it or stew it under the lid. I ate 200-300 g per day for a month. Additionally, I followed a healthy diet and exercised. The result is minus 4 kg in 30 days. At the same time, I would like to note that my overall health has improved, the appearance of cellulite has decreased, and my performance has increased. Now asparagus will always be in my diet, which I advise you to do too.”
Istratova Ksenia, 25 years old: “A tasty product, but absolutely useless for weight loss. After three weeks of daily use, my weight decreased by 200 g. My opinion is that if you want to lose weight, you need to exercise and eat healthy food. Just eating asparagus without exercise will not help normalize weight.”
Larisa Prilutskaya, 56 years old: “Asparagus has been in my diet for a long time. I regularly make soup, salads with it, and just bake it with cheese. Very tasty and healthy. It has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the nervous system, heart function, and gastrointestinal tract. I can’t objectively assess its usefulness for losing weight, but from personal experience I can say that my weight is constant, extra pounds do not appear. I eat a vegetable at least once a week.”
